He addressed a young, good-looking, dark man, who farmed land in the parish, and dwelt a few miles off. Mr. Waite laughed and nodded. "Right--I'll try." "Well done! Now"--Mr. Masterman smiled and looked at Jack Head--"will Mr. Head play the Bear--to oblige us all?" Everybody laughed, including Jack himself. "The very living man for Bear!" cried Mr. Luscombe. "I command you, Jack, to be Bear!" "You ain't got much to do but growl and fight, Jack, and you're a oner at both," said Heathman. "Well, I've said my say," returned Mr. Head, "and I was in a minority. But since this parish wants for me to be Bear, I'll Bear it out so well as I can; and if I give St. George a bit of a hug afore he bowls me over, he mustn't mind that." "Capital! Thank you, Jack Head. Now, who'll be Father Christmas? I vote for Mr. Nathan Baskerville." Applause greeted the suggestion, but Miss Masterman bent over from her seat and whispered to her brother. He shook his head, however, and answered under his breath. "It doesn't matter a button about his being a dissenter. So much the better. Let's draw them in all we can." "You ought to choose the church people first." "It's done now, anyway," he replied. "Everybody likes the man. We must have him in it, or half the folk won't come." "The King of Egypt is next," said Nathan, after he had been duly elected to Father Christmas. "I say Thomas Gollop here for the part." "I don't play nought," answered Thomas firmly, "unless Vivian Baskerville do. He's promised." "I'll be Giant, then, and say 'Fee-fo-fum!" answered the farmer. "'Twill be a terrible come-along-of-it for Ned here, and I warn him that if he don't fight properly valiant, I won't die." "The very man--the only man for Giant," declared Dennis Masterman. "So that's settled. Now, who's for Doctor? That's a very important part. I suppose your father wouldn't do it, Mark? He's just the wise-looking face for a doctor." "My brother!" cried Vivian. "Good Lord! he'd so soon stand on his head in the market-place as lend a hand in a bit of nonsense like this. Ask Luscombe here. Will you be Doctor, Saul?" But Mr. Luscombe refused. "Not in my line. Here's Joe Voysey--he's doctored a lot of things in his time--haven't you, Joe?" "Will you be Doctor, Joe?" asked Mr. Masterman. But Joe refused. "Too much to say," he answered. "I might larn it with a bit of sweat, but I should never call it home when the time came." "Be the French Eagle, Joe," suggested Mark Baskerville. "You've got but little to say, and St. George soon settles you." "And the very living nose for it, Joe," urged Mr. Gollop. "Very well, if the meeting is for it, I'll be Eagle," assented Mr. Voysey. The part of Doctor remained unfilled for the present.